US'22 (29.9.) -Gunthers / Chalk Bluffs

THUR: Kari brought along Barry and we headed up to Gunthers, as Barry wanted to take down the defective windtalker. Another bad road, a bit longer than the road to Pajute, but not as bad on the tires...

Kari and Barry

Pano on launch looking West

landing near the road in front of the irrigated fields (pix from yesterday's flight)

looking up to launch

Unfortunately my flight today consisted of 40 minutes of 'scratching', as I never got above launch: small thermals not providing enough lift for me. Barry made it up to 3000m and flew towards Bishop, but he reported the same 'problem'...

We then again drove to Chalk Bluffs: today a little more wind and Kari had quite a nice flight.

Kari 

I have not been so lucky, but at least my flight lasted about 3 times as long as the flight yesterday ;-)

Sunset on Chalk Bluffs (upper right corner)

US'22 (28.9.) - Pajute / Chalk Bluffs

WED: first flying day here in the Ownes Valley with my guide Kari Castle. She picked me up at my motel here in Bishop and drove me to 'Pajute' - once more a 'not so nice' dirt road up to a launch: no way you'd do it on a 'normal' SUV ;-)

'road' to launch

It took me a while until I found a good thermal, but then I could climb to almost 4000m; wind at TOC (= Top Of Climb) was pretty strong: South at 29kmh - good for flying XC, but not so good for me ;-)

Pano looking North

landing on the irrigated fields...

Later in the afternoon it looked as some soaring at Chalk Bluffs might be possible. But instead of picking up speed, the wind slowed down and finally turned even to W. As I had already set up and was ready to go, Kari suggested I might as well make a sledder and pack up at the LZ instead of folding up on launch... This has been one of my shortest flights in quite a while (the 'vert' here is only about 220ft/ 70m).

Chalk Bluffs

US'22 (27.9) - visiting Bodie

Originally I had hoped, that Kari Castle, my Guide in the Owens Valley starting Wednesday, would already be available on Tuesday. But unfortunatley she had other plans, so I wanted to use the day for visiting Bodie State Historical Park - something I had put on the 'must - sees' for this trip once I had seen a documentray about this Ghost town at 8400ft/ 2560m North of Mono Lake.

Sunrise at Virginia Creek Settlement

near Bodie

For leaving Bodie I did not use Hwy 270 again, but drove along Bodie Road (via Del Monte Canyon).

'Road' is an euphemism for this -in parts BAD- 4WD track; it's probably the limit what can be driven by an 'ordinary' SUV. After having made it through Del Monte Canyon I think my car would have it probably also made up to the launch at Goodsprings ;-)

Having my InReach along always makes me feel a bit more secure when driving such dirt track (or remote roads), as for most of the time I was driving outside cell phone coverage and this tool would have allowed to get 'help' if worst should have come to worst...

The drive back to Bishop took me again via Mono Lake (Lee Vining)

Mono Lake (Pano looking East)

Tomorrow I shall meet Kari - wx is looking fine (ev still a bit windy on Wednesday)...

US'22 (26.9. - transfer

Originally I had hoped to make eventually a flight from Goodsprings (NV), but with this rental car -altough a 4x4- I didn't want to drive the track to launch. Even though Andy offered to drive/ retrieve, I remember the road as too bad for an 'ordinary' SUV :-(

leaving 'crazy' LAS

So I left LAS, driving N/ NW towards Beatty (passing near Area 51), around the White Mountains to Benton and via Mono Lake (Lee Vining) to Bridgeport: approx 635kms in 9.5hrs. The reason for this trip: on Tuesday I wanted to visit Bodie State Historical Park and my Hotel for the night was just 5 mins drive from Hwy 270, leading to Bodie. 

Apart from a few larger towns (like Beatty), once outside 'greater' LAS,  there have just been minor villages and hamlets along the whole way...

endless stretches of (almost) straight roads/ highways

...Area 51...

...I hope the 'Angels' are in better shape than the sign and the aircraft ;-)

Beatty (which a long time ago could be reached by train)

Mono Lake (Lee Vining)

...waiting for dinner at 'Virginia Creek settlement'

After the 'culinary catastrophy' of Richfield and a slice of pizza at the Luxor in LAS, the restaurant here has been really nice!

US'22 (25.9.) - (Junction)

SUN: light winds from E / NE in the fcst: ideal for Mt.Edna or Junction. As we had to travel at least 4 more hours after landing, we didn't want to fly off Mt.Edna again; instead we went to Junction, which is just about 20 minutes (instead of 1+hr) driving from the highway.

Court house in Junction (built 1903)

One can almost see how the Aspen change colours...

Contrary to yesterday on Cove, where I had the launch for myself, around 20 other pilots were waiting to get airborne. It took quite a while before conditions turned on and pilots took off. Initially, it seemed rather hard to get high.

I had set myself a deadline for launching by 1215 - as we needed to be in Saint George latest by 1700 in order to pick up the rental car for my last 2 weeks. Mike would drive the car we had used since departing Denver (DEN) back to Richfield. 

If I'd been here only with Andy and a few other pilots, I think I would have launched, but with so many pilots eager to fly I waited until most of them had departed, so I'd have space and time for me to set up. But by that time my deadline had already passed; furthermore the thermals looked sharp and also bumpy ;-)

We had to say good-bye to Mike in Saint George: again, it has been very interesting to have him as a guide and to travel with him - thanks a lot!

It took us another 2.5hrs before getting to 'crazy' Las Vegas (LAS) - it really was quite a 'culture shock' arriving here after having spent the last 4 weeks in rural country.

that's about how it felt here in the 'Luxor' and LAS

Luxor hotel

Originally I had thought that maybe I'd stay also 2 nights here together with Andy, but LAS is certainly not the 'plave to be' - at least for me, so I'll be departing in the morning for the Owens Valley, my destination for the next week. I will also not try to fly Goodsprings (just South of LAS), as my rental car most probably is unsuited for the road to launch, even though Andy had offered to drive/ retrieve me... He will fly back to ZRH on Tuesday evening (with EdelweissAir/ EDW).

US'22 (24.9.) - Mt.Edna / Cove

SAT: according to Stacy this should be the perfect Edna-day with just little wind at 3600m. Mike picked us up at our Motel in Richfield around 0900 then we headed out to Marysvale and up Bullion Canyon.

Up to tree level it is a relatively good dirt road; there -at a locked gate - it branches into a bad track leading up to the communication towers and launch. Stacy has a key to this gate (which he gave to Mike) and this gate has to be opened only for the passage of the cars(s) going to launch and then be closed immediately.

It's amazing to see how quickly the Aspen trees are now changing their colour

many options to lay out a wing

Another group of pilots had asked Mike if they could go up to launch and if he could hide the key somewhere for them, as they were running late. Mike told them, we'd be at the gate between 1000-1030, then they could pass with us - but he wouldn't hide the key. We arrived at this gate at 1020, having lost some time due to multiple stops for taking pictures. So we decided to give them a chance by waiting until 1030: they made it with a few miuntes to spare... Otherwise it would have been a mile-long, steep walk for them.

(NE-) launch from above

Mt.Edna is Utah's highest drive-up site, launching basically possible in all directions: NE and SE being the best - and NE we had :-)  At this altitude some headwind is really helpful, as with no wind quite a lot of running would be needed - as a member of my 2018 'expedition' could tell you ;-)

looking NE towards Marysvale/ Monroe Peak

looking back to launch (Mt.Edna is the 'hill' at 0200)

Landing near/ on the irrigated fields

Andy and I both landed near the same spot; unfortunately we never got really high above launch, but that's maybe because we didn't go looking for thermals for enough in the lee ;-)

Some others did and - like Liza - would fly 110+km...

Later in the afternoon Mike would drive me to Cove (Andy remained at the motel). As we arrived just before the 'pack' I had time to set up almost  alone on the trap of  the N-launch. Today the wind was a bit stronger and getting above Cove Mtn was easier :-)

above Cove Mtn, looking North

US'22 (23.9.) - Monore / Cove

Finally the weather has delivered :-)  Conditions today have been as we had hoped they'd be for the last week/ 10 days. And how quickly the colors of the aspen trees are changing...

driving to launch

Considering the altitude of Monroe Peak (3400m) the wind has been really mellow and taking-off has been easy. After 'hanging' around launch for a while, I made a feeble attempt to cross over to Cove, but did not make it and landed at the LZ in Monroe. Andy landed at the motel in Richfield :-) 

In the afternoon Mike drove us to Cove. After some scratching around I finally also got high above Cove Mtn and could enjoy the sights...

Cove Mtn, looking North (where we had been 18.9.)

Cove launch

LZ in Monroe

>> please more of the same for the next 2 (and last) days here in Richfield...  ;-)